


what makes the bitter sweet

by greedlings



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Love Confessions, Useless Lesbians, embarrasing first meeting, harohapi as slightly dumb but extremely supportive wingmen 2k18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-04-27 15:18:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14428341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greedlings/pseuds/greedlings
Summary: Their first meeting was embarrassing, their second coincidental, but Misaki found that Tomoe made Misaki feel a little bit happier.Somehow, Tomoe found her way into Misaki's heart; with some help from her friends, she finds that she doesn't mind.





	what makes the bitter sweet

**Author's Note:**

> first bandori fic heck yes!
> 
> this was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing and i kinda just... threw together a few of my best girls and made it work (well, actually it was taylor who helped my by throwing together a few of my best girls, i shouldn't take the credit)! i really love these girls and even though i probably won't write for this pair again it was definitely fun, and a good way to throw myself into writing for bandori!
> 
> i may write something small with harohapi based after this tho!

“Do you need any help?”

Misaki was sure she looked ridiculous; she had somehow managed to get her arms and head stuck in Michelle’s head, and she could feel the fabric of Michelle’s body slowly slipping down her legs. 

“Can you hear me?” There was a gentle knock on Michelle’s head, and Misaki couldn’t help but sigh. She recognized the voice, but Michelle’s head muffled the voice too much for Misaki to put a face to the voice.

“Yeah, I can hear you.” Misaki struggled against the opening to Michelle’s head, but only managed to get stuck in an even more uncomfortable position. 

There was a shuffling sound beside Misaki- where she assumed the other person was- and suddenly Michelle’s head was pulled off of Misaki’s body.

“Ah, there you go!”

Misaki found that the voice was coming from someone she wasn’t expecting. “Oh, Tomoe. Thanks for the help.” Misaki sighed; sometimes she wished that playing with the band led to less interaction, but, on the other hand, she supposed it couldn’t be helped.

“Don’t those guys in the suits usually help you?” Tomoe asked, brushing her hands together as if they were dusty.

“Yeah,” Misaki said, stretching her arms and neck, “but Kokoro left early today- something about a tea party I think?- and the people in suits followed her out.”

Tomoe looked surprised, “The suit people work for Kokoro?”

“They follow her everywhere. It’s almost annoying.”

Awkwardly, the two girls stood for a moment. It dawned on Misaki that she hadn’t  _ really  _ answered Tomoe’s question, but figured it was close enough for an answer. Misaki shuffled, slowly slipping the rest of Michelle’s costume onto the floor.

“So, do you need any more help?” Tomoe asked, and Misaki silently thanked her for breaking the silence. 

Misaki shook her head, stepping away from Michelle’s body. “No, I should be good now.”

“Why do the people in suits help you?” Tomoe asked, grabbing Michelle’s body from the ground.  _ So much for not needing help, _ Misaki thought, but she bit her tongue. “You have bandmates that could help you.”

Misaki let out a single, breathy laugh. “They think Michelle and I are separate people. Most of them do, at least. I’ve tried to tell them before, but they never seem to understand.”

“But don’t you think taking off the costume in front of them would convince them that you’re Michelle?”

The question caught Misaki off guard; Tomoe was right, of course, and the first time that Misaki had taken off the head caused general panic, but Misaki had never really considered that changing in front of her bandmates could yield the results she wanted. 

But a different answer came out of her mouth: “That would ruin their fun.”

Tomoe smiled, and Misaki felt her heart skip a beat. “You’re more soft-hearted than you let on, hey Misaki?”

Misaki couldn’t stop the heat from rising into her cheeks, and opted to turn away before Tomoe saw the blush on her face. Quickly, she changed the subject while she placed Michelle’s head on the table behind her. “Thanks again for the help.”

Behind her, Tomoe sighed. There were a few footsteps, and suddenly Tomoe was standing beside Misaki. When she looked over at Tomoe, Miskai was surprised to find a look of dissatisfaction on her face. She watched as Tomoe placed Michelle’s body on the table.

“You sound good up there,” Tomoe finally said, a faint smile appearing on her face. She turned her head to face Misaki. “It’s definitely different to have a DJ in the band, but I think it adds to your charm.”

Misaki felt the heat return to her cheeks, but she didn’t turn away this time. Instead, she let the side of her mouth curl upwards, “I’m sure more charm comes from the other…  _ elements  _ of the band than from me.”

“I don’t know,” Tomoe said, turning from Misaki and starting towards the door, “you have quite a bit of charm yourself.”

And with that, Tomoe walked out of the door, leaving Misaki staring at the door. Her hand rested on Michelle’s head, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the door; she would never admit it, but she found herself hoping that Tomoe would come back in through the doors.

That was the first time Misaki had really talked to Tomoe, but she found herself wishing that it wouldn’t be the last.

* * * * *

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”   
  
Misaki sighed; she had  _ tried  _ to sit as far from everyone as possible, but it seemed as if her efforts were in vain. 

Then again, she thought, it’s not easy to isolate yourself in a fast food restaurant. 

“Can I sit down with you?” Misaki sighed again, loud enough that the person could hear her. There was an uncomfortable tension between Misaki and the other person, and Misaki couldn’t help but feel bad about causing it. 

“Yeah, go ahead. There’s room for another, anyways.” Misaki looked up at the person and smiled before recognizing who it was. “Oh, Tomoe!”

“Hey Misaki,” Tomoe said, pulling the chair across from Misaki away from the table. As Tomoe sat down, Misaki slid her fries- half of which had been eaten- across the table; it was a sort of peace offering, Misaki supposed, for acting the way she did. 

Tomoe grabbed one, smiling in thanks. Silently, the two of them sat for a few moments, picking at the fries.

“No costume today?” Tomoe asked. 

Misaki silently thanked Tomoe for easy conversation. “Not yet, at least. We have a rehearsal later today, though.”

Tomoe cocked her head to one side, “Do you always wear the costume during rehearsals?”

“Not always,” Misaki started, grabbing a fry, “but more often than not, definitely. If I don’t wear it, I have to make up an excuse for Michelle.”

“An excuse?”

Misaki laughed gently, then sighed, “If I’m not Michelle, I’m her representative. I “fill in” for her if she’s not there.” Misaki’s explanation and use of air quotes must have been amusing, because Tomoe began laughing softly. 

Something about Tomoe’s laugh- or perhaps something about  _ making _ Tomoe laugh- left a funny feeling in Misaki’s stomach, and she couldn’t help but laugh along. 

After the laughter had died down, Tomoe sighed, “it’s hard to believe that I’m in the same year as them sometimes.”

Misaki was taken aback, “The same year?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re a first year?”

“What did you think I was?”

Misaki felt heat rise into her cheeks, “I don’t know, but I didn’t think you were a first year.”

Tomoe laughed, shaking her head. Embarrassed, Misaki dropped her head. The floor was nice, she thought, though perhaps a little dusty.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed,” Tomoe said, “it happens all the time.”

Misaki looked at Tomoe to find a smile on her face. Their eyes met, and Misaki felt her breath catch in her throat.

Tomoe grabbed a fry, and her upper lip curled in disappointment. “They’re cold.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Misaki said, almost whispering. The lump in her throat had yet to leave. 

Tomoe smiled again, getting up from the table. “It’s not your fault, Misaki. Anyways, how much longer are you planning on staying? I could buy us some more fries if you’d like.”

Misaki shook her head, “No, it’s okay.”

“Are you sure? I ate most of your fries, plus,” Tomoe paused and pulled something out of her pocket; it seemed to be some sort of points card, “I get a discount,” she finished.    
  
Misaki couldn’t say no to that.

She found that it was hard to say no to Tomoe in general- something about her made Misaki feel so at peace, but like her heart was running a marathon at the same time.

She didn’t know what the feeling in her stomach meant, but for now, she feasted on discount fries.

* * * * *

“There’s something on your mind, isn’t there?”

Misaki was surprised at the suddenness of Kokoro’s question, but turned to answer her anyways, “No.”

Kokoro cocked her head, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” but Misaki couldn’t help but hesitate. She shook her head gently, then looked back to Kokoro, “At least not that I know of.”

“Oh! So it’s like a guessing game!” Kokoro’s voice rang through the studio. Excited, she sat down on the bench next to Misaki.

Misaki shushed Kokoro, but it was already too late; from across the room, Misaki heard Kaoru say, “A guessing game? How fleeting…”

All Misaki could do at this point was play along.

“Yes! Misaki doesn’t know what’s on her mind, so we’re going to guess!” Kokoro said just loud enough for the others in the room to hear her. Misaki watched as Kaoru, Hagumi, and Kanon walked over from the other side of the room, where they had placed their instruments. Hagumi was bouncing around Kaoru saying something about guessing games, and Kanon followed slightly behind, barely missing Hagumi’s flailing arms.

When the three of them reached where Misaki and Kokoro were sitting, Kaoru placed a hand on Misaki’s shoulder, “Don’t fret, my kitten. Together we will be able to find what troubles your soul!”

Misaki shook Kaoru’s hand off of her shoulder, “There’s nothing troubling me!” She looked to Kanon, only to find her making a face that had  _ are you sure?  _ written all over it. Misaki rolled her eyes, sighing, “Fine, I’ll play along with your guessing game.”

Kokoro and Hagumi couldn’t help but let out their excitement with a chorus of  _ yay! _ ’s and _ this is exciting! _ ’s.

Misaki could only shake her head.

“So then,” Kokoro started, turning her body to face Misaki, “how do you feel?”

“I feel fine! There’s nothing wrong!” is what Misaki said, but she knew that something in her heart felt like it was about to burst. The feeling had been there for a few weeks, but Misaki had been doing her best to swallow it down and ignore it.

The feeling had been there since she first talked to Tomoe, and she had felt it grow every time she and Tomoe had talked since; they often seemed to “accidentally” meet after school, but something told Misaki it wasn’t completely accidental.

She didn’t want to admit that to the band, though.

“I think you’re lying,” Kanon said, avoiding looking at Misaki’s face.

Misaki sighed, “What  _ would  _ be wrong if something was wrong?”

Kokoro cocked her head, “I don’t know, but you’ve been staring off into space during practice.”

“You’ve also been glancing at the door a lot, Misaki,” Kanon said, “as if you’re hoping someone will walk through.”

_ So Kanon isn’t even on my side here? _ Misaki thought, shaking her head slightly. “Does that even help you guys though?”

“Hmm, I guess not…” Kokoro trailed off, lost in thought.

“You always seem to be smiling when you’re zoned out!” Hagumi said almost triumphantly, as if pointing this out would answer all of their questions.

“Aha!” Kaoru shouted, making everyone else jump., “I’ve got it!”

Hagumi and Kokoro turned to Kaoru excitedly, “What is it?”

Misaki braced herself for some outlandish idea.

“Misaki is in love!”

No amount of bracing could have prepared Misaki for that statement.

“I’m… I’m what?”

“You’re in love, my kitten,” Kaoru said. She gently placed her fingers under Misaki’s chin and lifted her head. Misaki let it happen; Kaoru’s statement had made the feeling in her chest come back full force. She let her eyes meet Kaoru’s, and she was met with a gentle smile, “I can see it in your eyes. Oh, how fleeting of a feeling!”

“Misaki’s in love?” Hagumi said, confusion written all over her face.

“I’m not-”

“How do you know, Kaoru?” Hagumi interrupted.

“Well-”

There was a knock at the studio door, and Misaki had an overwhelming feeling of hope fill her chest. She kept her eyes forward though, watching as Kaoru gently dropped her hand and turned to the door, “Yes?”

Martina opened the door slightly, just enough to poke her head in, “Sorry girls, your time is up. The next band is here.”

The girls nodded in understanding and went to pack up their things. As Misaki pushed the DJ table out of the way, she heard the door open. At first, she ignored it, but not long after the door opened, she heard an all-too-familiar voice in the studio.

Her heart stopped.

She didn’t let it show; she pushed the DJ table against the wall, then put the piano where the table had been before. The entire time, she kept her back turned.

“Are you ready to go, Misaki?” Misaki flinched, but she supposed that Kaoru, out of everyone in the room, would be able to read her body language; Kaoru called on her on purpose, Misaki was sure.

“Yes, I’m ready.” Misaki turned around with as little hesitation as possible.

Tomoe smiled at Misaki, and she felt her heart melt.

Maybe Kaoru was right.

* * * * *

“You should have said something!”

Misaki didn’t know why she agreed to go to the restaurant with the band. It was late, Misaki had school  _ and _ work tomorrow, and…

She really didn’t want to think about what had happened earlier. Or maybe she did, but  _ definitely _ not in the company of the band. Either way, getting interrogated by her bandmates about a crush she didn’t know she had was  _ not  _ her ideal way to spend her evening.

“Said something about what?” Misaki asked, trying to avoid the conversation. She knew, however, that it was unavoidable. Even Kanon, the only other sane person in the band, was silently playing along with the interrogation.

“Being in love!”

Misaki sighed, “I’ve already told you that, one,” she held up a single finger, “I’m not in love, and two,” she lifted another finger, only to realize that if she said what she was going to, it would only prove Kokoro’s point further.

“Two…?” Hagumi said after a moment.

“I-I’m not in love!” Misaki exclaimed, panicking slightly.

Kokoro giggled, “You’ve already said that, Misaki!”

Misaki felt herself blush.

“So which one was it, my kitten?” Kaoru asked, leaning forward and resting her arms on the table.

Kanon laughed gently, and Misaki took the opportunity to put a fry in her mouth.

“It was the pretty one with red hair, right?” Hagumi asked.  _ Red hair…, _ Misaki thought,  _ pretty…  _

“What was her name again?” Kokoro trailed off, lost in thought.

“Misaki, what’s her name?” Hagumi asked.

Kanon spoke up, “Her name is-”

“Tomoe,” Misaki mumbled, interrupting Kanon. She put another fry in her mouth. Misaki could feel her anger with the situation slowly fading away, and she was almost ready to just tell her bandmates what they wanted to hear.

After all, they seemed to know more than she did.

“Misaki,” Kaoru said, once again placing her hand under Misaki’s chin; Misaki didn’t let Kaoru lift her head this time, however, instead focusing on an especially crispy fry in the container in front of her, “denying your feelings will only make it hurt more.” Kaoru slowly pulled her hand away from Misaki, placing it on the table in front of her.   
  
“But I’m not… I didn’t think I was denying any feelings!” Misaki was expecting some sort of dramatic response from the others, but was only greeted by gentle, knowing smiles. Something within Misaki prompted her to continue, “I didn’t even think I was feeling off until you guys mentioned it! But then you did, and now…”

“Now…” Kokoro prompted after Misaki paused.

Misaki took a shaky breath, then continued, “Now, I just feel… fuzzy, I guess. I can’t think straight, and I don’t… I don’t know what to do.” Misaki let her head fall into her hands; she stayed like this for a few moments, slowly steadying her breathing until she could feel her heart slow to a normal pace. Then, quietly, she said, “I just don’t know.”

There was silence from the other girls, but Misaki found that nothing about it was awkward; she was almost surprised to feel completely supported, even through what could have been an uncomfortable silence.

“As the great bard once said, “When Love speaks, the voice of all the gods makes heaven drowsy with the harmony.”” Misaki lifted her head to find Kaoru smiling gently.

For once, Kaoru’s quote made complete sense to Misaki.

“I don’t get it, but I agree with Kaoru!” Kokoro said, a soft smile on her face.

“If you don’t understand what she said, how do you know that you agree?” Misaki said, sniffling.

Kokoro gasped, “Misaki, are you crying?”

“I have tissues!” Kanon said, quickly turning to rummage through her purse.

Misaki wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, “I’m not crying.”

“Your emotions have overwhelmed you, my kitten,” Kaoru said, “It is only natural in your position. There is no need to deny it.”

It was Misaki’s turn to smile.

“She smiled!” Hagumi cheered, and Kokoro joined in almost immediately. Normally, Misaki would be annoyed at their obnoxious cheer, but she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmingly happy. Her participation in the band had started reluctantly, but at this moment, she couldn’t help but feel like the band was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to her.

“Now,” Kaoru started, “we need a plan…”

* * * * *

“This is the worst plan you guys have ever come up with.”

Misaki adjusted the earpiece in her ear, sighing.

It was Kaoru’s plan; it started with Kaoru giving Misaki a few quotes to say, which led to Kaoru writing an entire script, which eventually led to the situation Misaki was in.

“Remember to speak with your body, my kitten! Your voice may be powerful, but actions speak louder than words!”

Misaki just sighed, “Turn around, Kaoru. She’ll be here right away, and I don’t want her to see you.”

“On the contrary, my kitten,” Kaoru said, turning around with a smug smile on her face, “I believe she’s already here.”

“Oh, there you are Misaki!” At her name, Misaki felt her body freeze in place.  _ Kaoru couldn’t have just said that?  _ Misaki thought.

_ Well, at least Tomoe can’t see my face right now. _  Misaki sighed, trying to hide her blushing cheeks behind her hair.

There was a giggle in the earpiece, and Misaki heard Kokoro say, “You can do it! Just take a breath!”

Misaki watched from the corner of her eye as Tomoe walked around her to the other side of the table. When she reached the other side of the table, Tomoe turned around and smiled.

Misaki felt her heart race, but the smile on her face wasn’t forced at all.

There was another giggle in the earpiece, but Misaki wasn’t paying enough attention to know who it was.

Tomoe sat down across from Misaki. They sat in silence for a moment, avoiding each other's gaze. 

“Say something!” Kaoru encouraged through the earpiece.

Misaki felt panic rise in her chest again, but she swallowed it down, “So, how have you been?”

“Good!” Tomoe smiled, and Misaki was sure it could melt the coldest ice.

“Oh!” Tomoe said suddenly, “Did you order?”

Misaki shook her head, “No, I was going to wait for you.”

“Well in that case, what do you want? I’ll order for you!”   
  
“No, it’s-”

Kokoro’s voice came through the earpiece, “Let her do it!

Misaki stopped for a moment, then looked back up at Tomoe, “Just a coffee, please. But you don’t have to-”

“I know I don’t have to, but that’s not going to stop me!”

Then Tomoe was gone, and Misaki was left swallowing the butterflies that had started climbing out of her stomach.

“You’re doing amazing, my kitten.” Kaoru’s voice came through the earpiece, and Misaki found her nerves calmed a bit, “Now you just have to tell her how you feel!”

Misaki turned towards the counter; Tomoe was there, ordering their drinks. She was beautiful, Misaki could admit, and she was confident and kind and…

Kaoru was right; Misaki loved Tomoe. Misaki hated that Kaoru was right.

“Here’s your coffee!” Tomoe said, placing it down in front of Misaki, “I didn’t know whether you liked cream or sugar, so I just got them on the side.”

Misaki smiled in thanks, then opened the sugar packets and poured them into her coffee. 

“Do you like it sweet?”

Normally, Misaki used three packets of sugar in her coffee, but she supposed that she could live with the two she had; either way, the sweetest thing she’d ever had was sitting in front of her already.

“Yeah. It cuts out the bitter taste.”

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. Awkwardly, Misaki took a sip of her coffee, making sure to avoid meeting Tomoe’s eyes. Misaki was sure that there was colour in her cheeks, even though nothing had happened to make her blush.

Kaoru sighed into the earpiece, “Misaki, say something!”

Misaki took a deep breath, then said, “Tomoe, I have something I need to say to you.”

Misaki felt a lump form in her chest. The panic rose into her throat until she could barely breathe.

“Stay calm, my kitten,” Kaoru encouraged.

“Okay, what’s up?” Tomoe asked, a gentle smile on her face.

“Well, I…” Misaki trailed off, trying to find the right words- or, maybe, she was trying to find the courage to say the words she needed to. 

Hagumi spoke into the earpiece, “You can do it, Misaki!”   


“Maybe the words of the Great Bard will help you!” Kaoru said, almost excitedly, “How about-”

Misaki reached up and turned off the earpiece.

“I’ve been thinking,” Misaki said, ignoring the just-audible complaints from Kaoru from the bushes, “and ever since the first time we talked to each other-”

Tomoe laughed, “When I pulled Michelle’s head off of you?”

Misaki nodded, smiling, and continued, “Ever since then, I’ve felt like something was… missing. Or maybe that something had changed, or maybe-”   


“Misaki,” Tomoe said, breaking Misaki’s rambling, “I know how you feel.”

“You… you do?”

Tomoe nodded, “Yeah! You think that me stopping by your table at the restaurant was a coincidence? I saw you sitting alone and felt like… I realized I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to spend time with you, and get to know you better.”

“So all of those times after school…?”

“I would see you walking around, and couldn’t help but come say hi.”

Misaki felt her shoulders relax, “Well, I’m glad you did.”

Tomoe was silent for a moment, then said, “So does that mean…?”

Misaki smiled, “I think it does.”

Misaki found that her hand was in Tomoe’s, and she gave it a small squeeze. Tomoe’s cheeks were tinted a gentle pink, and Misaki couldn’t help but smile.

From a few tables over, a chorus of “hoorays” rang out, startling Tomoe and making Misaki shake her head. She took another sip of her coffee; she found it was more bitter than before, but Tomoe seemed to make the coffee sweeter than anything she’d had before.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated! <3<3


End file.
